Chapter 2: The Land of Ice

(Brock's POV)

Here I am: Brock...whose legacy of romantic failures will long outlive my name. I had no idea what the next few days held in store for me: adventure, danger, total lack of romance...but most of all: tragedy that I doubt I would ever be able to forget.

This was when it started...this was where it could have ended as well had I known the future. I could have stopped it...but I didn't.

As we stood there on the helipad, I took one last look back at the city. We would be leaving civilization. I knew that we wouldn't return here for quite some time, yet there

was something unique about this particular journey. I could almost feel it in the air.

"You know, Ash...this doesn't feel right." I nudged my friend's side.

"Are your jeans too tight?" Ash responded in his typical, childish way.

"Well, at least he remembered to wear jeans." Misty snapped.

"Don't bring that up again, Misty! When you knocked, I told you NOT to come in! It wasn't my fault!" Ash yelled.

I could see where this discussion was going so I decided to speak up before things get out of hand.

"No, that's not it. I just have a feeling that as soon as we step onto that helicopter, nothing will be the same again."

"Oh come on, stop stalling." Misty ran up to the helicopter. "We need to get going if we are going to make it to Professor Oak before nightfall."

"Right..." I sighed and walked up beside Misty, placing my bags into the helicopter.

"I think you're just nervous about the flight." Ash smiled and tossed his bags in as well. "You will get over it soon enough."

I nodded but I was still not convinced.

Ash climbed up into the passenger compartment, reached out his hand, and helped Misty in.

"You coming, Brock…?" Ash called.

I looked up at Ash and noted the usual determined look on his face.

Without a word, I jumped in as well and closed the door after me.

The engines, which had already been warmed up, began to hum deeper and we slowly lifted up off the ground.

I turned my face toward the window, watching the ground slowly shrink from under us...

Ash and Misty: my two closest friends in the entire world. Although they had both grown up so much, I still thought of them as my younger siblings. They were a part of my family—a part of myself. As I looked at them, sitting together on the bench opposite mine, I smiled slightly.

From the very first day I saw them fight with each other, I knew that they held a connection to each other. Some would call it hate; some might call it rivalry; while others might even venture to call it love. However I viewed it as a strange form of attachment which, although currently unexplored, could easily mature into love.

As I noticed the way Misty slightly leaned into Ash, and occasionally poked him to draw his attention to some trivial thing she saw out the window, I felt confident that for Misty at least, the attachment had already matured.

Ash, however, was a different story.

If a girl latched onto his arm and poured affection all over him, he would only notice when the circulation in his arm had been cut off. Perhaps a bit of an overstatement but seriously...Ash just couldn't take a hint!

There was Misty, actually behaving in a civil manner while subtly flirting with him and Ash didn't notice a thing! It's like I want to grab the guy and shout into his ear: "Wake up man! I have been trying to get a girl for a long time and here you are throwing away your chance to be happy!"

In case you were wondering; no, I didn't actually do it.

I turned my attention back to the numerous amazing sights outside the window. Stately mountains with their snow-covered peaks and jagged outcroppings sprang from the ground beneath us. Coniferous and deciduous giants grew from their sides and reached up into the thin air around them. Their stately shapes added color and life to an otherwise barren landscape.

As the mountains passed, rolling grasslands took their place. A sea of green, complete with waves, folded out before us. Its uniform lushness only broken by an occasional tree or large shrub amazed me. The helicopter flew lower over the fields to avoid the turbulence of the higher winds. Several Pokemon came into view, scurrying away from our sudden intrusion upon their accustomed habitat.

The most awe-inspiring sights we would see, however, yet remained beyond the horizon.
We flew past the grasslands and into the coastline. Sandy beaches lined the shores as far as the eye could see. The sun, which was beginning to fall toward the horizon cast its rays upon the silvery surface of the water, causing it to gleam and glisten. Children played along the shores and waved to us as we flew by. Gorgeous women lined the beaches. Some sunbathed on the sand while others enjoyed the shade of umbrellas that dotted the landscape.

"Nice view, eh Brock?" Ash teased.

I didn't respond. Rather, I pressed my face up against the glass...not wanting to leave the beautiful scene behind. Yet, I could always come back later, right?

As we left the beach behind us, the sea itself captivated my attention. It stretched far and wide from horizon to horizon—nothing but water. Although at first glance it appeared quite featureless, such was not the case. The air of the sea teemed with bird Pokemon and the waters were filled with water Pokemon of all shapes and sizes. A Wailord surfaced to our right, spurting out a jet of water into the air. I could faintly hear Ash and Misty utter cries of joy and awe as the playful Pokemon frolicked in its enormous home.

I looked to the North...and to my surprise I saw that our journey was close to its end. Icy peaks sprang up from the sea. The icy blast from the wind chilled the glass of the helicopter, making it uncomfortable to the touch.

I pulled back from the glass, and watched as a small camp came into view. It consisted mostly of small orange tents and temporary buildings. We flew over to the helipad and began our decent.

The helicopter shook a bit as we neared the ground most likely a result of the air currents that swept around us.
Some of the men on the ground rushed up to the helicopter, and pulled the doors open. They quickly unloaded our bags and helped us out. The cold, arctic air bit my cheeks as we stepped out. The men carried our bags towards one of the larger buildings so I followed them.

"Come on, guys, I think we should go this way." I called to Ash and Misty.

They both looked VERY cold...but I HAD warned them to wear enough clothing. I shook my head and walked up to the building with Ash and Misty close behind me.
As we stepped up to the building, Professor Oak greeted us warmly.

"There you are! I was hoping that you would make it here before nightfall," He smiled and brought us inside.

We all sat down on the floor as Professor Oak handed us thick blankets and a mug of hot chocolate.

"Now I know you are all tired from your long journey, but we plan on leaving for the expedition early in the morning. I have a few things to discuss with you before we leave so now is the best time for this." Professor Oak began. "First of all no one, under ANY circumstances, is to go out alone. It's too likely that you'll get yourself lost or into some other trouble. For this reason, you three will stick together at all times. Understood?"

I nodded then looked over at Ash and Misty, embarrassed. I thought of a cruel way to torture the two ignorant lovers.

"What's wrong, Misty? Did you want to be paired up with Ash?" I teased her.

"WHAT?" Misty's face turned bright red.

"Did you have to go and do that, Brock?" Ash groaned.

I just grinned.

"Shut your mouth, Brock!" Misty fumed and slammed me with her mallet.

"Secondly," the Professor continued, ignoring our little quarrel. "While we are out exploring, keep your radio on just in case something happens. That way, we can locate you if you need help. Last, but the most important thing is do NOT provoke the Pokemon in this habitat. They have been known to be quite aggressive during this part of the year and will attack if provoked."

We all nodded in agreement.

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Ambezua: Well, how was that? I greatly enjoy Brock's POV... It's a way for me to vent my wrath on both Ash (for his denseness) and Misty (for her refusal to profess to Ash). also, it gives me a good excuse to make quite detailed descriptions.

Brock: It's good to know that someone actually notices my true potential!

Misty: Protential for what? Becoming the world's most effective stocker?

Brock: I don't stock!

Misty: What do you call pursuing a woman after they have already told you "no"?

Brock: I call it being captivated by love...

Misty: Oh please...

Ash: I'm glad I didn't get the wrong end of Misty's mallet this time!

Misty: I will deal with YOU later...

Ash: (gulp)

Ambezua: ANYWAY, Please be sure to R&R... And go easy on Ash, please, I need him for the next chapter...

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Summary: Ash, Misty, and Brock board the helicopter, and are on their way. They see some amazing sights along the way. Then, they finally arrive at the polar base. Professor Oak warmly welcomes them and invites them into his personal tent. They all fit inside, rather comfortably. He then tells them the safety precautions: no one, under any circumstances, is to go out by him or herself. They are to keep in contact with each other during the expedition via radio. Most of all, they are NOT to provoke the wild Pokemon of the polar habitat which may attack them viciously in retaliation.